If you have ever studied anything that I teach, you are well aware that I frequently stress the importance of meaningful goals. This is a subject that you would have great difficulty placing too much emphasis upon.

Sift through the reams of information cataloging the differences between high and low performers and two shocking facts emerge. The people who have goals, achieve and enjoy far more than those who do not, and those who have written goals achieve the most of all.

A study was made of alumni, ten years out of Harvard University to find out how many were achieving their goals. The study revealed some very interesting information. An outstanding 83% had NO GOALS – NONE. They had absolutely no targets they were working toward. 14% had specific goals but were not written down. However, they were earning three times the income the 83% were earning.

I found those figures fairly interesting, but listen to this. The 3% group who had specific goals, clearly written to read and review, were earning ten times the income of the 83% who had no goals. To many readers this information is shocking but it is not shocking to those who study this subject.

J.C. Penny, founder of the retail store chain, which bears his name said, “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I’ll give you a person who will make history. Give me a person without a goal and I’ll give you a stock clerk.”

Maxwell Maltz said, “You and I function akin to bicycles. Unless we are moving forward toward an objective, we will fall and fail.”

Remember, people who write down their goals achieve the most of all. If you do nothing else today give this some good thought – set your goal, and then write it down to read often. You will reap the rewards of this one task for the rest of your life.

Bob Proctor